The Beginnings
by Tillo25
Summary: Directly after Sarah died, Joel and Tommy had to find a way out of town. This story follows what happens after Sarah dies, as in, directly after.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm so sorry Joel, I really am," Tommy said as he put his hand on Joel's shoulder. Joel, still sobbing over the loss of his daughter, who died cradled in his arms, stood up. He slowly set Sarah's lifeless body down, a small crimson pool forming under her. Joel stepped back, whilst his brother held him upright. Tommy, who feared Joel was going to go into traumatic shock, started walking him toward the bridge. "Joel, we need to find some sort of help. Maybe we can still get out of here. I know you're hurt, but we really can't stay here." Joel started walking with a little more energy alongside his brother, still red-faced and teary-eyed.

Tommy checked the remaining bullets in the revolver he was carrying. Only seeing 2 left, he worried he wouldn't have enough ammunition to leave the city intact. He quickened his pace up the hillside with Joel by his side, and they worked their way to the highway. They both took notice of the situation. The highway's traffic was being taken over by the infected from the city, so going back was not an option. Joel and Tommy both knew this, so they weaved their way through the cars, to a flurry of honks and angry shouts from people who had no idea what was coming their way.

One man got out of his car, and stopped both Joel and Tommy. Stepping in front of them, he motioned to them.

"Do you guys know what the hell is going on? What are we supposed to do?"

Joel stepped toward the man, with a distraught look on his face.

"Get out of here, leave your car, people are eating each other alive back in town, it's whatever pandemic is spreading, the cordyceps thing, or whatever the damn disease is called."

The man gained a shocked look on his face, and then lost seriousness.

"That's bull. That's not happening; are you trying to tell me this is some zombie apocalypse? You're screwing with me. The radio was saying it was a terrorist attack. I'm getting back in my car, and leaving the city instead of weaving through traffic. I shouldn't have bothered." The man, in a very annoyed attitude, got back into his car, and began testing the radio. Tommy began walking off, whilst Joel ran back to the car.

"Joel! Just leave him! He's just an idiot!" Tommy yelled to Joel as he walked back to him. Joel and Tommy began weaving toward traffic once again, nearly getting hit on more than one occasion. After a few minutes of continuing down the traffic-filled highway out of the city, Joel and Tommy came across one of the military roadblocks being set up. Joel and Tommy slowly approached the checkpoint which was only a repurposed toll booth. Multiple soldiers occupied the booths while another few checked cars.

Tommy holstered his gun and walked calmly up to the checkpoint. Joel walked up, but at a much slower pace, as his trust in the military had completely vanished with the murder of his daughter. Tommy quickened his pace, as did Joel, until one of the soldiers who was checking a van stopped and drew his rifle.

"Stop right there! Why are you not in a vehicle?" The soldier screamed to Joel and Tommy as they put their hands up. The soldier walked up to them, slowly putting down his rifle. "State your business here."

Joel tensed up, finally saying, "We're doing what everyone is, leaving."

The soldier began looking over the two brothers, focusing on Joel. "Why are you covered in blood? Have you been bitten or scratched by anyone?" The soldier cocked his rifle, ready to fire.

"No! No, I wasn't bit," Joel quickly said to avoid being shot by the soldier, who seemed to be getting closer and closer to shooting him and Tommy. Tommy quickly spoke up, to justify his brother's position.

"He wasn't bitten, sir. His daughter was just shot and killed, presumably by one of your men. Apparently we were, 'outside the perimeter'. This man's own daughter died in his arms, you need to cut him a break." The soldier sighed and began walking back to his checkpoint, with the two brothers following suite. Joel gained a pained look on his face, reliving the tragic memory in his head.

The soldier motioned for Joel and Tommy to wait outside of the booth littered with reports, radio equipment, a laptop, and ammunition. The soldier tuned the radio and began speaking into the radio transmitter.

"Command this is Checkpoint 2A, reporting in two civilians with no vehicle at the checkpoint, presumably coming in from the creek area. Please advise."

After a few seconds of chatter from the other side, the soldier put down the radio and motioned for Joel and Tommy to come inside the cramped makeshift office. They stood inside the booth while the soldier shuffled through his desk. He then pulled out two index card sized tickets and handed them to Joel and Tommy.

"Go a few miles down the road to the next town. There is a military relocation center being set up there. You have two entry tickets that show you're not infected; I guess I might as well do this for someone who just lost his daughter. It's just over the bridge and a few miles down. Good luck boys." The soldier then walked out of the booth and began checking cars once again. Joel jogged through the checkpoint, getting joined by Tommy as they began their trek to an uncertain future.

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This is chapter one, and I plan to make this a much longer story, but how do you like it's beginning? I'd like some opinions. Thanks ^.^


	2. Chapter 2

Joel and Tommy continued their hike toward the next town, a suburb on the outskirts of Austin, which was much like Joel's hometown. The two brothers quickened their pace toward yet another checkpoint before they were stopped again.

"Where are you two think you're g-" the soldier stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Tommy holding out an entry ticket, and Joel pulled out his ticket, as the soldier motioned for them to come through. They entered the city, which was filled with military personnel, as well as a few dozen large tents, some marked with large crosses, some with a biohazard sign.

Down to the southern end of the makeshift quarantine zone, a few military trucks were pulling in, with different labels painted onto them. "SEATTLE", "PHEONIX", "NEW YORK", "BOSTON" was some of the labels on a few trucks that pulled into the first loaded dock, a repurposed bus terminal. A few soldiers were loading civilians in and out of the trucks, all while checking them for disease.

The entire block seemed to be a blur of occupation and military enforcement, a Humvee patrolling down one street, an ambulance unloading dead bodies, and shelters being set up. Joel and Tommy walked into a tent serving food. They walked toward the woman at the counter, a younger woman, maybe 18-20, who seemed to be a new recruit. She smiled at the brothers before asking, "Do you have your ration tickets?"

"Our what?" Joel asked, confused. "We didn't know we needed ration tickets." Tommy stepped forward toward the counter, examining the food. The woman pulled out a few small tickets with a picture of a fork on them. "This is what I'm talking about; everyone who enters the quarantine zone is checked for infection and given ration tickets. So, if you want to eat, just give them to me." Tommy and Joel just left, unsure of what to do; Joel sat down at the nearest table, next to a family of five. A mother and father, as well as three boys. Tommy sat down next to Joel, putting his arm around his brother. Joel looked up at Tommy, and Tommy realized Joel looked absolutely horrible. His eyes were blood-red, and his face was wet with tears and sweat.

A few soldiers walked into the cafeteria tent, rifles slung over their shoulders. Tommy quickly stood up, stopping one of the soldiers. "Excuse me, where are we supposed to get ration tickets? We didn't come in by car so we didn't get any." The soldier turned to Tommy and Joel, pushing Tommy back.

"Hold it. You weren't checked?" The soldier then motioned for Tommy and Joel to follow him outside. The soldier then sent Tommy and Joel to the repurposed bus station. Tommy opened the door to the bus station, with Joel following close behind. The soldier at the bus station, shuffling through papers, looked up toward Joel. "What can I do for you?"

Tommy spoke up, "We need to be checked or whatever the procedure is."

"Ok, you have an entry pass? Anything like that?"

"Got some right here," Tommy asked as he held up his entry pass. The man took it and examined it quickly, handing it back to Tommy after only a few seconds.

"Ok, you guys get 5 ration tickets, and the one that is stamped is brought back for your next 5. Please spend these as well as possible."

Joel nodded and Tommy took the ration tickets into his hand. Tommy began to exit but Joel lingered for a few more moments. "Excuse me sir, how did the military come up with the idea of ration tickets with the apocalypse only just starting?"

"The military keeps these on tap for war, or anything that would pertain to needing ration tickets."

Joel then joined up with Tommy outside the tent, as the sun was beginning to rise, signaling a new day, and with it, a new batch of trucks with city names plastered to the sides. Joel decided to do some walking around the place, due to having nothing better to do.

"Hey Tommy," Joel said whilst walking ever closer to Tommy.

"Yea Joel?" Tommy asked as Joel came closer.

"I'm going to go walk around for a bit, I don't really know what else to do." Joel said as he walked down the street to see the rest of the quarantine zone. It looked quite impressive, for something that had only been set up after a few hours. As the sun came up, the tent city was illuminated even more and more as the hours wore on. Joel met up with Tommy at around 8 o' clock for breakfast, using up two of their ration tickets. Tommy looked down at the processed eggs and bacon and seemingly contemplated it, while Joel immediately dug into his food.

After breakfast, the two decided to find out if there was anything to do to occupy their bored minds. They then came across a soccer game being played outside one of the shelter tents. Joel and Tommy watched the game, seeing the kids play and laugh. After a few minutes of watching the game, a few military armored vehicles pulled into the town. An APC was among the small convoy. The soldiers who had been walking around the town in pairs started talking to the squads from the convoy, who started taking refugees to the trucks with the city names. One walked over to Joel and Tommy.

"Hey! You two, come here!"

Joel and Tommy reluctantly agreed to follow the soldier, as he directed them to one of the trucks labeled JACKSON COUNTY. Joel and Tommy climbed onto the truck with a group of random people, seeming to be in no real order. The truck pulled out from the refugee center, toward a new place neither Tommy nor Joel knew of.


End file.
